Monday, September 30, 2013
Top security chiefs yesterday held crisis meetings over
the Westgate Mall terror attack that left over 60 people dead, as
questions lingered about the country’s counter-terrorism and
intelligence strategy.
The day-long meeting at Harambee House came against the backdrop of
reports authorities had prior warning of a possible terror attack that
was not acted on and which has triggered a blame-game. However,
when Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph ole Lenku addressed the media at
5pm yesterday, he declined to discuss purported leaked intelligence
briefings suggesting security organs slept on the job, saying
intelligence matters were confidential. Lenku said that nine suspects
were in custody, held under counter-terrorism laws, but their identities
or nationalities would not be revealed.
“It’s premature to
release details now as that might prejudice on-going investigations,” he
told the press conference outside Harambee House. He declined to shed
more light on media reports that among those held is Briton Sharif Ahmed
Abdirizak, 35, who was arrested at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
The reports said the suspect was attempting to leave the country after
the attack, and was allegedly carrying maps of the Westgate Shopping
Mall on his laptop.
Lenku said one of the cars used by the
terrorists had been identified. He said forensic experts recovered
crucial items inside the car, including an assortment of weapons used in
the terror attack.
Lenku said police had so far taken witness statements from 56 people.
Terrorist stormed
He
dismissed reports that some of the attackers may have escaped using an
underground tunnel saying security forces had secured the area and
sealed off all possible escape routes.
He reiterated that the
attackers were estimated to have been between 10 and 15, and that five
of them had been killed by security forces.
Earlier, the security chiefs went into a crisis meeting at 9am, and continued until evening.
Defence
Cabinet Secretary Rachael Omamo, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Julius
Karangi, police boss David Kimaiyo, his deputies, National Intelligence
Director General Michael Gichangi, CID Director Francis Muhoro and
Interior Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo were among those present at
the meeting.
At noon some members of the team hurriedly left with reports
indicating that President Uhuru Kenyatta had summoned them to State
House, Nairobi. They later returned to Harambee House to continue with
the meeting. After the 5pm press briefing, the officials went back into
Harambee House but it was unclear if the meeting progressed into the
night.
The officials twice postponed the planned press briefing
over circumstances that were not immediately clear. Initially the
briefing was scheduled for 12.30 pm but it was pushed to 3 pm then to
4.30 pm and finally to 5 pm.
Investigations are ongoing into the four-day siege at the Westgate
Mall, which began last Saturday morning when heavily armed terrorists
stormed the crowded shopping complex, killing at least 61 people and
injuring over 200.
Officials said more than 1,000 people were
rescued. However, the mystery of some 71 people reported by the Kenya
Red Cross as missing, and feared to have perished inside the mall, was
still unresolved yesterday.
Lenku’s position yesterday over the
missing people perplexed journalists who wanted to know the fate of the
71. He asked those whose relatives were missing to report to the police
and humanitarian agencies with the information to also share it with the
police.
Surprisingly, Lenku insisted that the attackers had taken no hostages at the time Special Forces moved in.
Spy chief
The
mystery deepened further after Kenya Red Cross officials said the
government had taken over the list with the names of those missing.
President
Kenyatta had said bodies, including those of terrorists, were buried
under the rubble after three floors of the building collapsed.
Officials
said investigators would take at least seven days to sift through the
rubble in search of evidence and bodies and to conduct forensic tests.
Today, MPs conducting a parliamentary probe into the handling of the crisis will visit the scene of the terror attack.
Parliament’s
Administration and National Security and the Defence and Foreign
Relations committees are undertaking the joint probe.
The team has put off a scheduled grilling of spy chief Gichangi so as
to prepare comprehensive summons targeting top security chiefs. “We are
meeting on Tuesday to draw a timetable on when they are supposed to
appear to explain the issue after which we will communicate to them and
to the public,“ said Ndungu Githinji, the chairman of the Defence and
Foreign Relations Committee.
Leaked National Intelligence Service
situational reports claimed the National Security Council was briefed of
possible terror attacks in Nairobi and Mombasa. Among those briefed on
the terror threats were the army chief and Cabinet Secretaries of
National Treasury, Interior, and Foreign Affairs.
Foreign agents, including the FBI from the US, investigators from
Britain, Canada, Israel and Germany, are helping Kenyan authorities with
investigations.
The teams have taken samples from five bodies thought to be of terrorists for forensic analysis in order to profile them.
The bodies are being kept at one of the mortuaries in Nairobi and none has been claimed so far.